Marijuana ‘garden’ is a hit on YouTube, but Clinton police are among viewers

William Bradley

Published January 14. 2014 8:00AM | Updated January 15. 2014 12:03AM

Izaskun E. Larrañeta

Clinton — William Bradley hoped his YouTube video of his “beautiful garden” of marijuana would go viral so the world would know that he wanted to donate the drug to the sick instead of selling it to the wrong kind of people.

Bradley, who posted his “Hope Garden” video on Oct. 12, said he had terminal cancer and wanted to give his “medicine” to those in the same situation, but he couldn’t do it without donations.

“I’m putting myself out there, man,” Bradley says as the camera pans the plants that tower over him. “I’m putting myself out there. Let’s get this video viral. I know we can do it ... I love you. This is my gift.”

Bradley succeeded in getting the public’s attention, including that of the Clinton police, who arrested him Monday on a slew of drug charges.

Bradley, 46, of no certain address, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of hashish with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held on a $5,000 bond and was arraigned Tuesday in Middletown Superior Court.

Officer Adrian Santiago saw the video in October and began his investigation of Bradley. Police found that Bradley was storing drugs in a storage unit on Nod Place. Drug-detecting dogs were brought to the storage unit on several occasions and each time indicated to their handlers that there was a presence of drugs.

Police on Monday executed a search-and-seizure warrant at the storage unit and found numerous drugs, including two pounds of marijuana, more than 20 grams of hashish, two baggies of cocaine and four Oxycodone pills, as well as drug paraphernalia and $1,017 in cash.

In the video, Bradley walks through the garden, pans to the plants and zooms in on marijuana buds. He welcomes viewers back to his garden and tells them that he wants to share his marijuana, which he referred to as “beautiful flowers.”

“As you can see, God has gifted me with an abundance, and it’s more than I need so I want to take the extra to give to people that need the help,” he says. It could not be verified whether Bradley is in fact sick.

Bradley tells the viewers that he doesn’t want to sell the drug to people who in turn may sell it to children.

“I think that’s ridiculous. Let’s get it to the right person,” he says.

Bradley asks people to send him money so he can give the marijuana away. He even suggests that they hold fundraisers at their local church, synagogue, mosque or school.

Bradley digresses a bit in the video and tells his audience that he recently got into a motorcycle accident and encourages them to wear a helmet because it saves lives.

Police said they were familiar with Bradley, who was arrested in 2008 in Clinton for possession of more than 10 pounds of marijuana. Court records show he was sentenced on Oct. 16, 2009, to a suspended five-year sentence and two years’ probation for possession with intent to sell.

i.larraneta@theday.com

Clinton police Monday said they seized a slew of drugs from William Bradley, 46, of no certain address, who was allegedly operating a drug factory from a local storage unit.